Back To The Future
by writetherest
Summary: I mean, come on, who didn't want to go all Back To The Future – minus the whole mom thing – at least once in their life? But this was totally not what she'd had in mind. Give her Doc Brown and a DeLorean over Doc and a potion any day.


**Author's Note:** This was a ficlet (and it's continuation) that I wrote for a mini ficathon I had going on over on Tumblr. The prompt was: Emma traveled in time to meet Regina when she was just a young princess. Title shameless stolen from the movie of the same name, which I reference in this story. I own nothing, please don't sue.

* * *

><p>"Uhhh," Emma moaned as she slowly crawled back to the world of consciousness. Every part of her body ached, and she was pretty sure that her head was going to split in two, if the pain she was feeling was any indication.<p>

When Henry had had his brilliant time traveling idea, Emma couldn't say that she hadn't been at least a tiny bit excited. I mean, come on, who didn't want to go all Back To The Future – minus the whole mom thing – at least once in their life? But this was totally not what she'd had in mind. Give her Doc Brown and a DeLorean over Doc and a potion any day.

"You're awake!" The voice was softer and the tone warmer, but Emma would know it anywhere. She opened her eyes and was met with a pair of deep brown ones, filled with warmth and concern. They brought a smile – which was probably more like a grimace with the pain she was in – to her face.

Warm hands reached down and gently caressed her face, brushing unruly hair out of her eyes, and checking for any bumps, cuts, or bruises. Emma had to force herself to remain still and not lean into the touch. "Are you able to speak?"

Emma swallowed. Her mouth was dry and there was an aftertaste lingering that was worse than any she'd ever had, even after nights of heavy drinking. She'd have to be sure and tell Doc about that nasty side effect when she got back

"Yes." She croaked out, and instantly the warm hands were gone from her face, reaching for a large goblet from the bedside table.

"Here, drink this."

Emma carefully pushed herself up, wincing at the pain that continued to shoot through her body, before taking the goblet and drinking. The water was deliciously cool and she gulped it down as though she'd never had it before, some of it spilling down onto the nightgown that she now wore. The nightgown that she definitely hadn't been wearing before. "Sorry." She mumbled, almost sheepishly.

"It's alright." The woman smiled at her softly. "Just don't drink so quickly. You'll make yourself sick."

Emma slowed down, just sipping at the water until it was all gone. Then she handed the goblet back to the woman and studied her. "What happened? How long have I been out?"

"I was hoping you'd be able to tell me. I was out riding when I found you. You were unconscious. Have been for almost four hours."

Four hours since she'd been found. Who knew how long she'd been laying there before that? And she only had seven according to what Doc had said. They really needed to work on perfecting this potion.

"It appeared as if you'd taken a fall. Perhaps you were thrown from your horse? Or fell from the trees?"

Oh, she'd fallen all right, Emma realized. She was so giving Doc hell about that one when she got back, too. Time traveling was one thing. Being literally dropped into the past was quite another.

"Yes," she nodded slowly, "yes, that must've been it. My horse must've thrown me."

"I didn't see any signs of your horse, but I can go back out again and look for him." The woman smiled.

"That's very kind of you," Emma searched her face, as though waiting for the woman to tell her name, but of course she already knew it.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Regina." She smiled again. "My name is Regina."

"Regina. I'm -" She had a brief moment where she considered saying Calvin Klein or even Victoria Secret but knew that Storybrooke Regina probably wouldn't have gotten the reference so there was no way that this Regina would. "Emma."

"Emma." Regina tested the name. "It's a beautiful name. So tell me, Emma, what were you doing out riding through those forests all alone?"

Emma was thankful for years of learning to think on her feet and lie quickly. And this one wasn't even all that much of a lie. "I was just making the journey back to my home. I must've taken the wrong trail and gotten lost."

"And where is your home from here?" Regina asked, moving closer to her on the bed. Emma fingers itched to reach out and touch her, to run her fingers through the soft, shoulder length hair, but she forced herself to remain still.

"It's very far away." Emma said, thinking of just how far away in both miles and time her home was.

"You miss it."

Emma looked at Regina and nodded. "I do. Never really thought I would but –" she shrugged, thinking of Henry and Mary Margaret and especially of Regina who was going to be so pissed about this if she found out. "I guess having people you love changes things."

Regina's eyes seemed to light up at the word love and Emma was again struck by just how different the woman in front of her was from the woman that had stolen her heart back in the future. Yet, they were the same. It was just that this Regina, this beautiful, young girl, had yet to have been betrayed and have everything she'd loved taken from her. She was still so open, wearing her heart on her sleeve. "There is someone that you love waiting for you?" She asked with a wide smile and eager eyes.

"Yes." Emma answered honestly. "My friends. And my son. And my lover."

"You have a son. But you seem so young!"

Emma laughed. She couldn't wait to tease her Regina about this, if she ever worked up the courage to tell her.

"And your lover? Are you in love with him?"

Emma bit her lip, but answered truthfully. Hopefully this Regina wouldn't take it the wrong way, but if she did, Emma would only need to escape her and hide for a few hours. She wasn't yet the Evil Queen, so it shouldn't be too hard. "Yes, I am in love with her."

Regina blinked in surprise. "Her? You mean –"

Emma smiled and reached out, gently touching Regina's hands. "I told you my home was very far away."

Regina continued to study Emma before she slid even closer to her. "What is she like?"

Emma did her best not to laugh. "She's beautiful. And smart. And strong. But she's very guarded." Emma did reach out then and gently touched Regina's hair. "Life was unkind to her and it changed her. Perhaps not for the better."

She frowned a bit as she thought of Henry's plan and realized that she couldn't do it. "But it's made her who she is today and I wouldn't change that. Not even if I had the chance. I hate that she went through so much pain and I thought that I would take it away if I could, but I wouldn't. Because if I did, then she wouldn't be the woman I love."

When she looked back up at Regina, she noticed that there were tears in the brunette's eyes. "She sounds like a very lucky woman, to have you love her as you do."

Emma shrugged. "I'm the lucky one."

"I hope one day to have someone love me the way that you love her." Regina whispered the confession.

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by a soft knock on the door. It opened carefully to reveal an older man. "Regina, has she woken up yet?"

Regina turned with a smile to the man in the doorway. "Yes, Daddy. This is Emma."

The man – Regina's father – smiled at her. "Emma, we are so pleased that you're awake."

"Thank you, Mr. –" she stopped herself short, not knowing if his last name would be Mills here or not.

He smiled. "You can call me Henry."

That stopped her in her tracks for a moment. Regina had never told her that she'd named Henry after her father. "Henry. Thank you, for the hospitality. I won't take up much more of your time or kindness."

"Nonsense." Henry and Regina both spoke at once.

Emma knew that she wouldn't be able to stay much longer. The potion would be wearing off. "I really must be on my way soon. I'm feeling much better now."

Henry nodded. "I am going into town soon. I could take you, see about getting you a new horse."

"Thank you, but I'm sure if you just show me to the forest that I'll be able to find my horse."

"As you wish. I'll leave you to get changed." And with that he was gone.

Regina looked at Emma, who was struggling to climb out of the bed. "Must you go?"

"Yes." She nodded, carefully pulling her clothes back on. At least they'd been smart enough to dress her in simple clothes that wouldn't cause a lot of attention. When she was finished, she turned back to Regina, who looked so sad at the possible loss of her.

"Don't look so sad," Emma reached out and brushed her hand across Regina's cheek. She knew now that she couldn't play with the future, but she could at least reassure the woman that she loved. "I know it may not seem like it now, and there will be times in the future when I know it won't ever seem like it, but I promise you, Regina, that one day you will have someone who loves you just the way that I love her."

Then she leaned forward and gently kissed Regina's cheek, already feeling the tugging sensation that meant the potion was about to wear off. "Goodbye, Regina."

"Goodbye, Emma."

The world started to spin around her and Emma felt the headache coming back on. The last thing she saw before everything went black was Regina, her face unmarred by the pain of her past, open and beautiful and trusting. It was worth it to be able to see that, Emma decided.

But next time she was taking a DeLorean.

* * *

><p>Emma flinched against the light and groaned. Her head was still aching, although the pain in her body had lessened considerably. The disgusting taste was back in her mouth though.<p>

"Doc, we really gotta work on this potion." She mumbled as she forced herself to sit up and open her eyes.

When she did, she found herself looking into a pair of brown eyes that, unlike the last time she woke up, were not warm. Instead, they were positively flashing anger. But Emma could detect the concern in them, hidden away but still there.

"The hell you will," Regina spit at her, and Emma looked beyond her to see Henry and Doc both looking sheepish and rather afraid.

"Hey 'Gina." She offered a smile, trying to disarm the woman. But her flip nature seemed only to infuriate the brunette further.

"Hey 'Gina?" She practically yelled. "You act like an idiot, drink a potion that could have gotten you _killed_, not to mention done god knows what else, and you say 'hey 'Gina' to me?"

Before Emma could even come up with a reply, Regina turned and stormed out of the room, her black skirts swirling behind her so that Emma could see her as the very picture of the Evil Queen. Emma let out a sigh and dropped back on the pillows.

"Sorry, Ma." Henry offered, coming over to the bed.

"Yeah, you should be." Emma muttered, but then offered him a smile to let him know she was only teasing. "So, she was pretty pissed, huh?"

"Manic would be more like it." Doc informed her. "When she found you and you wouldn't wake up - I tried to explain to her but -"

"What did you tell her?" Emma wondered.

"That Doc had made a potion that we thought could maybe send us back and that you'd tried it." Henry said. "We told her over and over that it would only last seven hours, but - she pretty much lost it."

"Yeah, I got that." Emma frowned, then looked at Henry. "Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

Henry shrugged. "I didn't know if it would work or what would happen if it did. And it wasn't a total lie. You did get sent back. Just, back in time and not back to Storybrooke." Then he paused and looked at her. "You did get sent back, right? It worked?"

"Oh, it worked." Emma nodded. "But there are definitely still some kinks that need worked out, Doc."

The dwarf nodded and looked like he wanted to ask what they were, but kept quiet instead.

"So what happened? Did you see her?" Henry pressed.

"I did." Emma confirmed. "But I couldn't do it."

"Why not?" Henry frowned, unable to figure out where his mother was coming from.

"You shouldn't mess with the past, kid. It can affect the future." Emma looked at him. "And I wasn't willing to play with our lives. Not after I saw her."

Henry stayed quiet for a long time before he finally nodded slowly. "I think I understand."

Emma leaned forward and kissed his forehead, before climbing out of the bed. "I gotta go talk to your mom. You two stay out of trouble. And no potions while I'm gone!"

Henry and Doc both looked slightly disappointed, but they nodded their agreement just the same.

* * *

><p>Regina was in their bedroom, staring out the window when Emma entered.<p>

"So, on a scale of 1 to Snow, how angry at me are you right now?" She ventured, hoping the joke would pull Regina out of her mood. But the dark haired woman said nothing.

"Regina," She whispered, wrapping her arms around the older woman. Regina turned to look at her and Emma could see the tears in her eyes.

"Do you have any idea what that was like?" Regina's voice was harsh but strained, as though she could barely keep it together. "To come into that room and find you like that?"

"I'm sorry." Emma whispered. "Truly. It was a stupid idea and I -"

"You're damn right it was stupid!"

"Hey." Emma forced Regina to look at her. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I did a stupid thing - one of many. But I'm fine and I'm here and you're here and we're okay."

"What were you thinking? Trying to go back. Are you really that unhappy here?"

"What? No. 'Gina, no." Emma held fast to the woman who tried to pull out of her arms. "Look, Henry lied. I didn't take the potion to try to go back to Storybrooke. I took it to go back in time farther than that."

Regina's eyes narrowed.

"Henry and I thought that if I could go back to before everything happened, that maybe I could stop it somehow. Warn you or something. But -"

"But?" Regina pressed.

Emma turned away. "I'm a selfish person, Regina. I always have been. But I never realized how selfish I was until I was standing there, looking at you like you used to be, knowing I could save you from it all, and realizing that if I did then -"

Regina's arms found their way around Emma's waist. "Then what?"

"Then I'd never have you." She whispered the words, her hands clutching at Regina's arms for a moment before letting go.

Emma pulled away from Regina's hold and moved toward the window. "I could've stopped it all. You never would have gone through any of it. You'd still be as carefree and open now as you were then."

"You don't know that." Regina told her softly. "Something could've happened later. I could've made the same choices, done the same things, become the same person."

The room was quiet for a long time before Regina spoke again. "I used to dream about you, you know?"

Emma spun, her eyes wide. "You - you remembered me?"

"In a way." Regina nodded. "I remembered a beautiful blonde woman and the things she promised me. But I thought it had all been a dream, something I'd conjured up in my own imagination."

Regina's fingers traced Emma's face. "I thought that you'd lied. After everything, after what I became. No one could love me. But you didn't lie, did you?"

Emma quickly shook her head. "Of course not."

"You are a reckless idiot, Emma Swan." Regina chided, pulled the blonde closer. "But I love you. And I was right back then. I am a very lucky woman to have you love me as you do."

Emma shook her head. "I'm the lucky one."

As she leaned forward to kiss Regina, she saw the genuine smile and the open, beautiful look that she'd seen before settle across the features she loved. And she knew she'd made the right choice.


End file.
